In common tilt-adjustable automobile steering columns, a tilt-housing rotatably supporting a steering wheel is, in turn, supported on a stationary mast jacket of the column for up and down pivotal movement so a driver can adjust the steering wheel to a personally comfortable attitude. Typically, the adjusted position of the steering wheel is captured by notched lock shoes on the tilt-housing engaging stationary pins on the mast jacket. A release lever hidden from view inside the tilt-housing moves the lock shoes to release the stationary pins when the release lever is pivoted by a hand lever exposed to the driver outside the tilt-housing. For ease of operation, durability and dependability, the hand lever and release lever must be rigid axially and torsionally. For assembly and field service, however, the hand lever and release lever must be separable. To that end, hand levers have been provided with threaded ends which screw into threaded sockets in the release levers. Also, a plug-in quarter turn attachment between a release lever and a hand lever is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4832524, issued May 23, 1989 to the inventor of this invention and assigned to the assignee of this invention. A connection according to this invention is an alternative connection between a release lever and a hand lever in tilt-adjustable automobile steering columns.